Nontrad, age 30, finishing prereqs and unsure about extra-curriculars

[w4t3rbo1]

Hello! I wasn't sure what to do for the title so hopefully that sums it up. I am a nontrad with ~3.0 GPA, looking to apply in the 2023 cycle. I have not completed my MCAT, but I have scored 510 on a couple of practice tests, and I will be studying this year (with the goal of increasing my score!) and take the exam by fall. I have completed 2 prereqs last sem with A's in both (orgchem 1 and anatomy/physiology 1), and will be finishing two more prereqs this sem (orgchem 2 and anatomy/physiology 2). I developed a great relationship with my professors, and I will have the same professors next sem. I volunteer at a crisis hotline (16-20 hours a month), which is something I really love to do, and I work as a tutor (which is also something I love to do). I am a bit lost though - what else should I be doing to prepare myself/stand out?

My goal is to work with underserved inner city communities probably for my entire career, and I was inspired by the doctors at University Hospital in Newark. If it were up to me that is where I would like to go to school, and that is the community I would like to serve.

Hope this isn't too vague, and any help is very much appreciated.

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[Bonne Nuit]

Hello! I wasn't sure what to do for the title so hopefully that sums it up. I am a nontrad with ~3.0 GPA, looking to apply in the 2023 cycle. I have not completed my MCAT, but I have scored 510 on a couple of practice tests, and I will be studying this year (with the goal of increasing my score!) and take the exam by fall. I have completed 2 prereqs last sem with A's in both (orgchem 1 and anatomy/physiology 1), and will be finishing two more prereqs this sem (orgchem 2 and anatomy/physiology 2). I developed a great relationship with my professors, and I will have the same professors next sem. I volunteer at a crisis hotline (16-20 hours a month), which is something I really love to do, and I work as a tutor (which is also something I love to do). I am a bit lost though - what else should I be doing to prepare myself/stand out?

My goal is to work with underserved inner city communities probably for my entire career, and I was inspired by the doctors at University Hospital in Newark. If it were up to me that is where I would like to go to school, and that is the community I would like to serve.

Hope this isn't too vague, and any help is very much appreciated.

If your goal is to work with underserved urban patients as a physician, you should start volunteering with that population now. You need some clinical experience, so you could try to find opportunities in low income areas of your city: check hospitals, community health organizations, and free/sliding fee clinics. Can you volunteer or get a clinical job at the hospital in Newark?

Your crisis line volunteering is a good start for nonclinical community service, but try to expand that to in-person community service if/when you can. I know the Omicron variant is making it hard to do anything in person this winter, but keep your eyes open for opportunities this spring/summer.

Good job on the postbac grades and baseline MCAT. Depending on how many prerequisites you have left, you may need to bolster your GPA with an SMP or more DIY postbac credits. If you go the DIY route, take at least 30 credits (the more the better) at a 3.8+. Several consecutive semesters with a great postbac GPA + good MCAT will help your competitiveness for DO and some MD.

Make sure you’re shadowing, and if you can find a research experience, that would be another good EC to have.